It will be very interesting to see how Chelsea’s striker ranks look next season. Xabi Alonso will be coming back and will arrive with his own ideas. Joao Pedro has drawn interest from FC Barcelona but it looks like the Blues are intent on keeping him. On the other hand, Nicolas Jackson is set to return from his loan spell at Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich might not have decided to keep Jackson by taking up the option, but that does not mean it was a bad spell. He did what was asked of him as a backup and scored at a decent rate. Chelsea fans will be hoping that working a year with Harry Kane has improved him as a striker.
Liam Delap is another player whose future remains uncertain after a poor debut season. Signed for £30 million after Ipswich Town were relegated, he managed only one Premier League goal this season. Many believe it is already time to move on.
Another forgotten striker might be headed for the exit door as well. According to The Athletic, David Datro Fofana had spells on loan last season. Chelsea will look to offload him for good this time around.
David Datro Fofana set to leave Chelsea permanently
Fofana spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Fatih in Turkey and actually had a decent return. He scored 8 goals in 15 appearances.
He returned in the middle of the season and was linked with a variety of clubs. But ultimately, he ended up joining Strasbourg.
It was a spell to forget and Fofana did not score a single goal. By now, it is pretty clear that he is nowhere near good enough for Chelsea.
So, the time has come to find him a new home on a permanent basis. But where will that be? Can the Blues bring in a decent offer?
Who could Chelsea sign this summer?
At the moment, it does not look like Chelsea are looking to sign another striker. One of Delap and Jackson is expected to leave this summer.
But with no European football to worry about, that might not be the end of the world for Chelsea. They will probably need only two options, and it would allow them to give both decent playing time.
Of course, fans will be hoping that Jackson is the one who ends up staying. He certainly has shown a lot of quality, even though his finish has lacked at times.
On the other hand, Delap has done nothing to convince the supporters that he is the long-term answer for Chelsea up top. He has not even been good enough to be a reliable back up option.
Nothing is set in stone though. Jackson might insist on a move away. And if that is the case, Chelsea might just stick with Delap, although it would not be ideal.
There have been links with strikers like Julian Alvarez in recent times. But considering how little noise there has been on that situation lately, it does not feel like it is anything concrete and worth keeping in mind.
